Behind the Veil
by un1uckyst4r
Summary: Our favorite rollerblading heroine comes facetoface with the new evil power wreaking havoc on the streets of Tomoeda.
1. Veiled in Mystery

Behind the Veil  
  
Chapter One - Veiled in Mystery  
  
What am I doing up here?  
Sakura looked around her and gasped. There was nothing but dark sky above and city lights below.  
I'm floating. Why am I floating?  
She gazed ahead and there, floating several feet in front of her, was a figure fully awash in the blue-white beams of the moon. The only thing Sakura could see on the figure was a long veil, shining silvery-white like it was made out of the moonbeams the figure was standing in. Sakura was hardly worried. She'd been in stranger situations before, floated in front of stranger entities than this veiled figure, faced stranger creatures in stranger places than this. All she needed was Kero -  
Where's Kero?  
Sakura looked frantically about her and found that neither hide nor hair of Kero could be seen. She longed for the comforting presence of her Guardian Beast, even for the comforting yet small presence of her Guardian Beast in his small teddy bear-like form. But he wasn't here with her, she was all by herself…  
I need Kero. Where's Kero? Kero-chan!  
Ring!  
The veiled figure's arm suddenly rose, and it pointed a long white finger directly at Sakura. Sakura felt her knees shaking.  
Kero-chan, where are you?  
Ring!  
The figure suddenly screamed something, and her shrill voice echoed through the night sky. Suddenly everything went black, and Sakura could feel the ground disappear from beneath her feet… she was falling now, tumbling through this strange, eternal blackness…  
KERO!!  
Ring!  
" Sakura! Sakura, wake up!! Come on, snap out of it!! "  
Sakura bolted upright and felt pain shoot through her as she smacked heads with her older brother Touya. Touya stumbled backwards and hit the wall on the opposite side of the room. " Finally, " he muttered. Then he realized how much his head ached. He winced. " Ow. What the heck was wrong with you? "  
Sakura blinked and looked around, disoriented by the bright sunlight streaming through the window. She wasn't floating above the city or falling through darkness, she was sitting in her nice warm bed. She looked around to find Kero and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him lying awkwardly on the floor as if he'd been tossed out of the bed. He was hurting all over but tried his best to maintain his plush toy position. She peered upwards and saw her brother sitting on the floor rubbing his head. " Touya, " she mumbled confusedly. " What are you doing on the floor? "  
Touya shook his head and stood up. " Finally, you're awake. You slept through your alarm; you somehow slept through me beating on you to wake up. " His voice suddenly had a tinge of concern. " Were you having a bad dream or something? What was that you were yelling? Kero? "  
" Oh… " Sakura fumbled for an explanation. " My bear, " she answered, grabbing Kero off the floor.  
" Your bear. Right. You're thirteen years old and for some deranged reason you still sleep with a bear. Were you dreaming or something? "  
" Why are you so concerned? "  
" Because you were screaming loud enough to wake the dead. Now hurry up and get dressed. "  
" What… why? "  
" Remember? The funeral. "  
Sakura literally jumped out of bed. " Oh my gosh, I completely forgot! " She ran to her closet and rummaged around for clothes, then turned around. " Get out of here, " she hissed at Touya.  
" I was just getting to that, " Touya snapped back, and left the room. Sakura heard a sigh of relief from Kero, who was still lying on the floor.  
" I don't know how long I could've held my breath for, " Kero panted. " What was Touya saying about you dreaming? "  
Sakura pulled a black skirt out of her closet and sighed, then told Kero about her dream. " I don't know what to do about this, " she said. " I mean, what if it's another one of those dreams? "  
" You mean with Yue and - "  
" Yeah. "  
Kero thought a while. " Nah, I doubt it. "  
" Sakura! " Touya yelled. " Stop talking with your stuffed animals and hurry up already! "  
  
" Whose funeral is this anyway? " Touya asked on their way to the cemetery.  
" It's your aunt and uncle's, " their father Fujitaka said, with a touch of disapproval in his voice. " You remember your cousin Kari, don't you? "  
" Barely, " Sakura chimed in. " She isn't the one who died, Oto-san, is she? "  
" No. Her stepparents got into a car accident, and neither of them survived. "  
" So if they're her stepparents then they aren't really our aunt and uncle. So what are we doing going to their funeral? "  
Fujitaka sighed. " It's for Kari. She has no other living relatives besides us, so she may be living here for a while. "  
" Great, " Touya muttered, staring out the window of the car. " Another Sakura. "  
" Hardly, " Fujitaka retorted, noting the frustration in Touya's voice. " Kari is nearly five years older than Sakura. I think you two should get along rather well. "  
" Yeah, right. " Touya peered into the rear-view mirror to see Sakura going through her purse. He noted the pearly white wing sticking out of the opening. " Sakura, you didn't bring that stupid bear with you again, did you? "  
Inside the purse, Kero fumed. Stupid bear indeed!  
  
The funeral was actually pretty nondescript. Sakura didn't cry that much at first because she barely knew her cousin Kari or her stepparents. But the gloomy gray sky and the overwhelming scent of flowers reminded her of her mother, whose grave was a small distance away from where they were. She had died when Sakura was three, and Sakura felt horrible that she never got a chance to really know her mother. The thought of it was the only thing that brought tears to her eyes.  
After the funeral Sakura asked if she could be alone for a while so that she could visit her mother's grave. She walked a few feet away from the rest of the group and knelt by a pure white marble headstone engraved with flowers. Sakura looked upwards and noticed that the sky had turned much darker, from a pale gray to a stormy, dark gray. She figured she might as well make it quick. " Hello, Oka-san, " Sakura said quietly, and she felt a tear roll down her cheek and splash down onto the front of her cheek.  
" Sakura, watch out! " Kero yelled suddenly from inside Sakura's purse.  
A sharp pain shot through Sakura's arm and interrupted her deep thoughts. Sakura stood up and looked around.  
Standing about three plots away was a tall, thin girl dressed in a long black dress, black gloves, and a black hat with a black veil that covered the girl's face. The girl began to move towards Sakura, and Sakura could hear her black gown rustle against the grass as she walked - then she noticed that the girl wasn't walking at all, but floating.  
" Who are you? " Sakura cried, but the girl didn't answer, just kept floating closer and closer. Soon she was standing right in front of Sakura, towering over her in mid-air, an ebony pillar in the monochrome day. Sakura could barely see the face behind the veil, only a pair of pale blue eyes sparking with anger.  
" What do you want? " Sakura whispered, her voice shaking. The pale eyes staring into her seemed to set off sparks again, and pain shot all through Sakura's body, a pain so unbearable that if she remained conscious another moment she felt she would surely explode…  
  
" Sakura! Are you all right? "  
Sakura's eyes fluttered open and she strained to focus on the figures hovering above her. Suddenly everything came sharply into focus, including the aching in her body, which until this point had seemed subdued and dulled. Touya and Fujitaka were kneeling over her, trying to pick her up. " Touya, " she whispered.  
" What happened to you? " Fujitaka asked.  
Sakura remembered the girl in jet black, and the way her icy blue eyes glinted with hatred. " I… I don't know. I just… fainted. "  
" Again, " Touya said, angry but uneasy. " I knew it, first that psycho dream you had last night and now this… we'd better go home. "  
From within the safeguard of Touya's arms Sakura looked behind her, at her mother's grave. She thought she could see an ebony pillar hovering above it like a deadly omen. 


	2. Kari

Chapter Two - Kari  
  
" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! "  
Sakura bolted awake, tears and beads of sweat dripping down her face. There it was again, that strange dream with the woman in the white veil and Sakura falling into blackness. But this time Sakura was aching all over, as if a bolt of lightning had hit her. She remembered feeling the same pain when the woman in the black veil attacked her.  
Could they possibly be related somehow? she thought. But it couldn't be. These had to be two totally different entities, the woman in white and the woman in black. One of them existed in her dreams, and the other - unfortunately - existed in reality. There was no way something from her dreams could enter reality, and vice-versa.  
" Sakura! Are you all right? " Kero scrambled up from the foot of the bed and hovered in front of Sakura. " What happened? "  
" I was… dreaming again. " Sakura winced, still feeling the pain lingering within her.  
" Again? Sakura, we'd better get to the bottom of this. Was it the woman in white again? "  
" Yeah. But this time I felt pain, like when that woman attacked me in the cemetery. "  
" Really? Do you think they're connected? "  
" I really don't know, " Sakura began, but then her door burst open and Touya rushed in. " Sakura, are you okay? " he asked.  
" No, " Sakura said hurriedly, shoving Kero under her blankets. " I'm fine. Really. "  
" You were screaming again, you can't be okay. Just make sure you don't scream in your sleep anymore. "  
" Why? I thought you didn't care. "  
" I don't care, " Touya said in exasperation. " Have you totally lost it or something? Don't tell me you don't remember. "  
" But Touya, I don't. I swear. "  
" Kari. Our cousin. She's coming in from Kyoto in three hours. "  
" Huh?! " Sakura jumped out of bed and ran to her closet - again. " Why didn't someone remind me? "  
" Oto-san told me not to bug you because you fainted yesterday at the funeral. Don't tell me you don't remember that either. "  
" Okay, okay! Go away! I have to change. "  
  
Sakura, Fujitaka, and Touya stood waiting at the train station an hour later. Fujitaka looked at his watch. " Kari's train should be here soon, " he said.  
Soon after a train pulled up and the door opened. The first person to step off the train was a young woman, a thin girl with pale, almost translucent skin and long, white-blonde hair. She was dressed in a long white trench coat with a pale blue dress underneath. But the one thing Sakura noticed were the girl's eyes, which were narrow and blue, a blue so light it was almost white. Sakura sensed something overwhelmingly strange coming from the girl, but she knew it couldn't have been a Clow Card. After all, she had all the Clow Cards - which were now Sakura Cards - tucked securely into her purse.  
Apparently no one else had noticed. Fujitaka smiled welcomingly, and even Touya cracked a small grin. " So nice to see you again, Kari, " Fujitaka said.  
The girl gave a small, polite bow. " Hello, Uncle, " she said, in this high, airy voice.  
Fujitaka motioned to Touya and Sakura. " You remember your cousins, Touya and Sakura? "  
Kari turned to Touya and bowed politely again. " Hello, cousin Touya, " she said sweetly.  
All of a sudden Touya's small, polite grin became a large, welcoming, almost friendly smile. " Nice to see you again, " he said, and Sakura wondered why he changed his tone so quickly.  
Then Kari turned to Sakura, and Sakura could feel pain shooting through her again like she had earlier that morning. What was wrong with her?  
" Hello, " Kari said.  
" Um, hi, " Sakura said, struggling to keep the intense pain under wraps.  
" I'll take your bags, " Touya offered.  
Kari snapped her fingers and all of a sudden a small heap of luggage appeared at her side. " Arigato, Touya-san, " she said in a sweet voice. Touya somehow grabbed Kari's entire luggage and lagged behind as Kari walked beside Fujitaka and Sakura lingered a little behind them.  
" What's up with that girl? " Kero hissed from inside Sakura's purse.  
" I don't know, " Sakura answered. " Did you feel it too, that weird vibe? "  
" Yeah, I did feel something. I don't know, maybe you've just got the jitters, you not seeing each other for a while and all. And I also noticed that Touya was actually nice to her, which kind of surprised me. Is that your cousin? "  
" Yeah, that's Kari. "  
" Oh, OK. I'd keep an eye on her. "  
  
" You can sleep in here, with Sakura, " Fujitaka said to Kari, motioning into Sakura's room. " I'll set up an extra cot on the other side of the room, and I'm sure there should be some extra room in some of Sakura's drawers for your clothes. "  
As soon as the door closed, Sakura started clearing out some of her drawers for Kari. " So what's up? " she asked, trying to start some friendly conversation. " I haven't seen you for a while. "  
" Yeah. "  
" So how old are you now? I'm thirteen, I turned thirteen a while ago. How old are you? "  
" Fifteen. "  
" Fifteen? That's cool. " Geez, this girl makes less conversation than Syaoran does. " That's really cool. So what grade are you in? " Sakura giggled a little. " Sorry if I seem so talkative, it's just that I haven't seen you in such a long while. "  
Kari actually smiled a bit. " That's okay. I'm going to be in grade ten. "  
" Cool. I'm in grade eight. I'm still in elementary school. So I won't be seeing you at school or anything. "  
" Hmm. "  
" Finally, I've got another girl around here. I can't stand living with Touya, he drives me insane! "  
" I couldn't imagine. " A small tear came to Kari's eye, and she wiped it away roughly.  
" Yeah, lucky you. Wow, this is gonna be great. Wait till you meet Madison and the others, they'd really like you. You're gonna have a lot of fun. "  
Kari grinned, almost in a friendly way. But her eyes remained narrow. " I'm sure I will, " she said darkly. A surge of pain erupted suddenly inside Sakura, and she fainted.  
  
" Sakura! "  
" Huh? " Sakura's eyes fluttered open again, and they focused on her father. " Oto-san? What happened? "  
" Kari says you fainted again, " Fujitaka said. " It's a good thing she was here in the room with you. "  
" I fainted again? " Sakura asked vaguely.  
" Yes. I think you've had enough excitement in the last couple of days. I'm going to call the school and tell them you won't be here for a while. In the meantime you stay right here in bed. You need to rest. "  
" But - "  
" No 'buts', Sakura. "  
Kari came into the room just then, tears running down her cheeks. " It was so horrible, Uncle, the way she just fell down like that… I do hope she's alright… " Then she turned to Sakura. " Oh, you're okay!! " Kari ran to the bed and gave her a hug. " I thought you were hurt. "  
" I'm fine. "  
" Thank goodness. " Kari's relieved face seemed sincere, but Sakura still couldn't shake off the feeling that there was still something wrong.  
Another person appeared inside the room, and Sakura could feel a blush mount into her face. It was Tsukishiro Yukito, Touya's best friend and Sakura's current love interest. Sakura huddled as much as she could into the blankets. I can't let Yukito see me like this!  
" Sakura! " Yukito cried. " Are you okay? "  
" I'm fine, really. " Sakura crouched even further into the blanket, blushing fiercely.  
" Touya told me what happened. Guess you had a pretty rough weekend, huh? "  
" Yeah, kind of. "  
" Well, I hope you get better. " Yukito fished through his bag and pulled out a large paper bag. " This is a get-well-soon present from me. It was supposed to be part of my lunch, but I've got enough for lunch as it is. That was a little snack just in case I got hungry during class."  
Sakura laughed, remembering that Yukito had this incredibly insatiable appetite. " Yeah. " She opened the paper bag and found a large amount of chocolate chip cookies. " Wow, thanks a lot, Yukito. I really appreciate it. "  
" No problem. " Yukito flashed Sakura a smile, and Sakura reddened even more. " I know those are your favorites. Let's go, " Yukito said to Touya, and they headed on their way out. Yukito stopped suddenly and looked at Kari. " Touya, who's that? " he asked.  
" Oh, that's my cousin Kari, " Touya answered. " She's going to our school. Kari, this is my best friend Tsukishiro Yukito. "  
Kari smiled sweetly and bowed. " Pleased to meet you. "  
Yukito froze suddenly. He smiled, and the smile he gave to Sakura paled in comparison to the smile he was giving to Kari. " The pleasure's all mine. Would you like a lift to school? There's always some more room on my bicycle… "  
" Bye, Touya, " Sakura called as the three of them left. " Bye, Kari! Bye, Yukito! "  
None of them turned around to acknowledge her.  
" What was with that? " Kero asked, crawling out from under the bed. " Nobody said goodbye to you, not even Yukito. And he's always talking to you, no matter how often you avoid talking to him. "  
Sakura pouted. " That's because they were all busy obsessing over Kari. "  
" Oh well, it's a phase, it'll pass. "  
" Yeah, I hope so. " Sakura paused in thought for a while, then asked, " Kero-chan? Did you see how I fainted? Kari says I just fell over, but I felt perfectly fine and then all of a sudden I blacked out. "  
" Weird. I was still shoved under the bed. What were you doing at the time? "  
" I was just talking to Kari. "  
" Hmm. " Kero suddenly looked pensive and thoughtful. " You know what, I think that weird vibe you had about Kari might be just a little more than having the jitters… "  



	3. Ghost Story

Chapter Three - Ghost Tale  
  
Sakura spent the entire day staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what was wrong with her - and if the problem wasn't with her, then what was wrong with everyone else. Kero fluttered back and forth offering Sakura food and drink, but Sakura would just push them aside. Kero finally got sick and tired of it and sat down at the foot of Sakura's bed. " Are you going to spend the rest of today staring up there? " Kero asked. " What are you thinking? " And when Sakura didn't answer, Kero continued talking. " You're still mad from this morning, aren't you? "  
Sakura sat up and sighed. " I just can't figure out why I fainted again like that. And I don't know why everyone is ignoring me. I can't figure it out. And my head is starting to hurt from thinking so much. " A loud grumble interrupted Sakura's thoughts, and she giggled a little. " I guess I'm a little hungry too. "  
" Great. Because I spent all day bringing breakfast and lunch up here for you. "  
Sakura laughed and helped herself to the food on the table next to her. She was happily chewing away when all of a sudden she felt something strange, as if all the warmth and light in the room had just been sucked out the window. She shivered, and noticed a shadow on the floor where sunlight was once streaming through the window.  
" Sakura, out there! " Kero yelled. " The window! "  
Sakura turned around to see the woman from the cemetery floating right in front of her window. She pointed one long, thin finger at the window and it shattered. Sakura screamed, then remembered the Clow key in her dresser drawers. She ran over to the dresser and rummaged through it until she felt the familiar outline of a star and a circle.  
She withdrew her hand from the drawer and chanted: Key of Clow! Power of Magic, power of light, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release! Immediately the key began to glow and turn into a long pink wand. Sakura turned around and faced the woman, who had floated through the hole in the window and was now hovering closer to her. The woman pulled something out of her long robes, and Sakura gasped - it was a Clow key, exactly like hers, only black. The star was inverted like a pentagram, and the circle around it was an upside-down half-moon. The woman began to chant in a silvery voice that echoed around the room.  
Black Key of Clow! Power of darkness, power of spite, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release!  
The key transformed into a wand, like Sakura's had, and Sakura began to wonder just what she was up against. Was this girl a Cardcaptor too? And if she was, what kind of cards did she have (if she even had any)? Were there two Clow Books, another set of Clow Cards that were exactly like hers? Or were they different? Evil cards, perhaps?  
" Sakura! Watch out! " Kero yelled.  
Before Sakura could do anything, the woman had summoned the Wood card and black thorny branches came flying towards her, wrapping themselves around her and closing in on her like a prickly glove.  
" Kero-chan! " she cried. " Help me! "  
Kero fumbled for a solution. " Use the Firey card to burn the branches away! "  
Sakura struggled to grab her wand from the approaching thorns. " Firey Card! Release and dispel! "  
The Firey card appeared and threw little tongues of flame at the Wood card, which shrank away in fear. The woman seemed totally unfazed and used the Watery card to snuff out the Firey card.  
" Firey Card! Return to your power confined! " Sakura retrieved her card and ran to the other side of the room, away from the woman. The woman approached menacingly, and her Watery card floated by her side, looking as if it were ready to swallow Sakura whole.  
Someone please help me! Sakura pleaded.  
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. " Sakura? Sakura! I'm home! "  
" Oto-san! " Sakura cried.  
The Watery card stopped and returned to its confined form. The woman gave a start at the sound of Fujitaka's voice, and she floated towards the broken window. Then she turned around and looked at Sakura, and Sakura could see her icy blue eyes glinting from across the room. " This isn't over yet, " she said in her mysterious silvery voice. " I will have that power. " The woman backed out of Sakura's room. " No matter what it takes. "  
Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief, but all too soon. The woman's eyes set off sparks, and Sakura felt pain hit her like a bolt of lightning. She collapsed again, crumpled onto the bed with Kero at her side.  
  
" What? Sakura fainted? "  
" That's what that girl said, her cousin. "  
" Sakura never faints, though. That's not possible. "  
Sakura could her voices all around her, female voices, distant and unreal. They sounded a lot like her friends from school, Tomoyo, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko…  
" I know, Sakura doesn't seem like the type to faint. "  
" I wonder what could have made her do that? "  
The voices started up again, sounding much closer that they had before. Suddenly there was a male voice, a voice that made Sakura's heart jump for joy - no matter how much she didn't want it to.  
" I don't really care how she fainted, I just hope she's okay. "  
Syaoran!  
Sakura's eyes fluttered open slightly. Syaoran. He's here, he's really here…  
" Look! " Tomoyo cried. " She's waking up! "  
" Sakura! "  
" Sakura, are you okay? "  
" Wake up, Sakura! "  
" Don't wake her up if she doesn't want to wake up, " Syaoran said gruffly. " She probably needs her rest. "  
Sakura's eyes opened a little more, her spirit fueled by the sound of Syaoran's voice. " Syaoran? " she asked weakly. " Tomoyo? "  
" Sakura! " Tomoyo knelt down next to Sakura's bed, smiling ecstatically. " You're okay! "  
" Yeah. " Sakura looked up at the rest of her friends. " You guys are all here too. "  
" We heard you weren't feeling well, " Chiharu said concernedly.  
" From who? "  
" Well, a number of people, " Naoko chirped in quietly. " Your brother. And that friend of his, your lover boy, Tsukishiro Yukito. And this new girl at school who says she's your cousin. "  
" Kari… "  
" Yeah, " Rika answered. " She's new here, right? She had quite the following at lunch today. A whole lineup of guys, Touya and Yukito included. Somehow she shook them off. "  
" Which brings me to something else, " Naoko interjected. " I'm led to believe that there is a ghost haunting this neighborhood. "  
" A ghost? "  
Syaoran scoffed. " Yeah, right. "  
" No, I'm very serious, " Naoko continued. " Chiharu-san and I saw a tall, thin black figure floating across the sky towards your house. And your window is broken. So I think you were a victim of the ghost. "  
" Naoko-san and her ghost stories, " Syaoran said cynically. " Grow up, girl. "  
Naoko stuck out her tongue at Syaoran's back. Tomoyo, Rika, and Chiharu laughed. " Well, we'd better get going now, " Tomoyo said. " Glad to see you're feeling better, Sakura. "  
" Thanks for coming! " Sakura said happily.  
" I'll call you later! "  
" See ya, " the other three girls said. They left, and only Syaoran remained.  
Kero popped up behind Sakura and looked straight at Syaoran. " What are you still doing here, kid? " he asked gruffly.  
" Good question, " Sakura added, daring to look straight into Syaoran's sparkling amber eyes. She blushed furiously and tried to bury herself in her blanket. Why was he here? Wow, does he really care that much about me? Enough for him to visit me and talk with me when I'm sick? Ooh, maybe he was just waiting for a good moment for him to say he loved me - now that would totally make my day…  
" I couldn't start talking about Clow Cards and anything with your bunch of chatterbox friends hovering around you, " Syaoran answered. " And you, " he added, looking at Kero, " you'd better leave me alone or else I'll throw you out the window, you stupid stuffed toy. "  
" That's no way to talk to a Guardian Beast of the Clow, " Kero snapped back.  
Sakura couldn't hide her disappointment. Typical Syaoran, she thought angrily. Always business before pleasure. " Okay, fine. What do you have to say? "  
Syaoran took a deep breath. " Naoko-san's ghost, " he said finally. " I saw it - I didn't want to say it in front of Tomoyo-san and the others - you know how I don't believe in ghosts - but Naoko-san was telling the truth. There was something black floating up in the sky coming from the forest behind the school. "  
" That was no ghost, " Sakura interrupted. She told Syaoran about the woman at the cemetery and how she had returned to attack her a few hours before.  
Syaoran looked totally concerned. " A black sealing wand? " he asked. " So you mean this person is another Cardcaptor? "  
" Yeah, but an evil one. "  
" An evil Cardcaptor? With cards? "  
" Yeah - cards exactly like mine. I don't know what to do. She's smart, she knows all my tactics before I know what I'm going to do. I can't just wait for her to come back and try to hurt anyone. "  
" Right now, there's nothing we can do, " Syaoran said sadly.  
" What? " Kero yelled. " You mean to say that you're just going to sit and watch while this thing attacks everyone in town? "  
" Nobody asked you, " Syaoran snapped at Kero. He paced about the room wringing his hands. " We'd better wait for this person's next move so we have a plan for next time. Don't worry, I won't let that thing hurt you. "  
Sakura smiled up at Syaoran. " Really? "  
Syaoran blushed. " You and anyone else, " he added quickly. " Listen, I'd better get out of here before your brother gets home or anything. Get well soon. " Syaoran gave Sakura a quick wave on his way out. Sakura waved back and for one wonderful moment she was able to get that woman out of her mind.  



	4. Under the Influence

Chapter Four - Under the Influence  
  
She's a Cardcaptor.  
Sakura paced up and down the hall, thinking to herself again, with Kero fluttering at her heels.  
This girl is a Cardcaptor. But she's evil.  
" Sakura, would you mind talking to me? " Kero asked. " You've never been this quiet before. And it's scaring me. "  
Sakura ignored him. Naoko and Syaoran said this thing came from the forest right beside the school, and somehow it was able to find me. When it first attacked me, I was in the cemetery. And somehow it was able to find me there.  
" Sakura! Come on! What's up! "  
It didn't attack when I was with Oto-san and Touya, it waited until I was alone and it left when Touya and Oto-san came for me. And the same thing happened today; it attacked when nobody was home but it left when Oto-san came home.  
" HEY!! SAKURA!!! "  
This thing's got a plan. It's out looking for me, and just for me. It won't attack when anyone else is around me. But why? What have I done?  
Kero ran up and bit Sakura in the finger. " Ow! " Sakura cried. " What did you do that for? "  
" You weren't listening to me, " Kero said with a pout.  
Sakura smiled apologetically. " I'm sorry, Kero-chan. I was just thinking. "  
" You know, Sakura, if you don't calm down about this whole thing you'll be worrying about it all the time and you'll drive yourself crazy. "  
Sakura smiled apologetically. " I'm sorry, Kero-chan, " she said. " I'm just trying to figure this all out before that lady tries to attack me again. Do you think it's a Clow Card? "  
" You asked me that before, and I think it might just be a Clow Card. "  
" I thought I captured all of them, though. "  
" Yeah, but I remember there were a few that Clow Reed hadn't included in the book - "  
" Didn't include? You mean there were more? "  
" Hey, don't worry, there weren't that many more. Just three, I think. I don't remember what they were called, but they weren't created by Clow Reed. They were really dangerous, more dangerous than all of the elemental Cards put together running around town being influenced by the Power Card and the Fight Card and going berserk. They were created by someone evil and powerful - equally as powerful as Clow Reed. And this person knew it too. After Clow Reed captured the three cards, he and the creator of those cards had a major showdown - and he almost lost. "  
" He did? What happened? "  
" Nobody can beat Clow Reed, of course, so after he beat the other guy he contained him and the three Cards and scattered them to the edges of the magical world. It was pretty quiet since then, but the appearance of this crazy lady has lead me to believe that somehow the creator of the lost Cards has been set free, along with at least one of those lost Cards. Unfortunately I don't remember who the creator is, what those lost Cards were, or what powers they had. "  
" So you think maybe this woman could be the creator of those evil cards? "  
" It's a pretty good guess. Unfortunately that's all it is - a guess. Sorry. "  
" Thanks a lot anyway, Kero-chan. That was really helpful. "  
  
" Hey, guys! " Sakura was skating as fast as she possibly could after Touya and Yukito. " Wait up! I don't want to be late! "  
Yukito turned around. " Sakura-san? " he yelled. " Hurry up! "  
" How about you guys slow down!! "  
" I would, but I've got Kari-san on my handlebars and I can't really see where I'm going… you're alright, aren't you, Kari-san? Comfortable? "  
Even from a distance Sakura could hear the distinct purr in Kari's voice. " Oh yes, Yukito-san, I'm just fine. I could never be better. "  
Yukito beamed. " To-ya! " he yelled. " Slow down for your sister, would you? "  
" I don't want to be late, " Touya called back. " Sakura! " he yelled behind him. " Skate faster! "  
" I… can't… " she huffed, short of breath. " I can't… believe… you guys… could leave me here!! HEY!!!! Yukito-san! Oniichan!! WAAAAIIITT… "  
" What happened to you? " Tomoyo asked on the way to class.  
Sakura struggled up the last few stairs leading to their classroom and wiped the sweat off her brow. " You have no idea, " she wheezed.  
  
" Lunch time! " Tomoyo exclaimed happily, grabbing her bag off the back of her chair. " Finally. I don't know how much longer I could have sat through that lesson, Terada-sensei can be so incredibly boring sometimes… oops, sorry Rika-san, " she added quickly when she saw the angry look on Rika's face.  
" Let's eat outside for lunch, " Sakura suggested. " It's so nice out. "  
" Great idea, " Naoko agreed.  
The three of them and Chiharu went outside and ate their lunches under the shade of a tree. They were in the middle of a conversation when someone tapped Sakura on the shoulder. Sakura gave a quick " Hoee?! " and whirled around. " Kari-san! " she cried out, " Don't ever do that to me again! You scared me! "  
Kari grinned a little, and Sakura realized how friendly and approachable she looked - at least, how friendly and approachable she would look if her eyes weren't constantly narrowed. " Sorry about that, " Kari said quietly. " I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just came here with your lunch. Touya-san took your lunch by mistake. "  
Sakura looked down at the empty blue lunchbox in front of her and her jaw dropped. " Uh-oh. Kari-san, I think you'd better give this back to Oniichan. "  
Everyone laughed, including Kari. " Are these all your friends? " she asked.  
" Yeah. This is Daidouji Tomoyo, this is Sasaku Rika, this is Mihara Chiharu and this is Yanagisawa Naoko. Everyone, this is my cousin Kari. "  
Everyone waved at Kari, and she returned the greeting with a little bow. " Please to meet you all. Sakura-san has told me so much about you. "  
" She told us a lot about you too, " Tomoyo said, and Sakura couldn't help but notice the odd, dazed sound of her voice.  
" Your life is so interesting, " Naoko added, just as dazedly as Tomoyo. Sakura blinked, shocked. Just what the heck is going on here?  
" Please, tell us more, " Chiharu pleaded.  
" There are so many questions I want to ask you, " said Rika.  
As one collective body, Sakura's friends stood up and clustered around Kari with looks on their faces reminiscent of hero worship. Kari smiled a bit and nodded at her new following. " I'd be happy to, " she said, " if you wouldn't mind walking with me. "  
The girls followed Kari like dogs on a leash. " Hoeee?!? " Sakura yelled. She stood up on a bench and waved her arms. " Guys, what's going on?! What about lunch??? "  
" Oh yeah, lunch. " Tomoyo didn't even look back at Sakura. " I almost forgot. Sakura-san, could you be a dear and pick up our lunch bags? "  
" Tomoyo-san! - "  
" Thanks a lot, Sakura-san. "  
" Hey, what's the big idea?! Guys!!! GUYS!!!!… "  
  
" How was your day at school, Sakura? " Fujitaka asked when Sakura walked through the door. All he got in reply was a series of angry grumbles as Sakura skulked past him without a word, went up to her room, and slammed the door.  
Kero awoke with a start. " Sakura! " he yelled. " What's the matter? "  
Sakura slumped onto the bed, whipped open her textbooks, and began doing her homework in a mad rage. " All my friends ditched me at lunch for Kari. And then afterwards all they could ever talk about was Kari this, Kari that, Kari, Kari, Kari!! "  
" Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, " Kero muttered in an imitation of The Brady Bunch. " I think you're just a little jealous, Sakura - "  
Kero didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Sakura picked him up and nearly whipped him out the window. " I am not jealous!! " she exclaimed, and went back to her homework.  
Kari came into the room a few minutes later. " Hey, Sakura, " she said. " I had a really great time with your friends at lunch, they're all so interesting. "  
Sakura grumbled something inaudibly in reply.  
Kari went about the room picking up her textbooks. " Oh yeah, could you tell Uncle that I won't be home until later tonight? I'm going over to Yuki's house to work on a project, and then I'll be having dinner there. " Kari patted Sakura on the head like a little child. " Have fun. " Then she closed the door.  
Sakura slammed her textbook shut and shot upright. " Yuki?! " she exclaimed, thoroughly furious. " Did she just call him Yuki?! "  
" Yes, " Kero mumbled from behind a table on the other side of the room.  
" How dare she!! " Sakura threw her textbook onto the floor. " That is my nickname!! "  
  
Sakura eagerly awaited the coming of the weekend. The entire week had turned out to be sheer hell for her. She was sick and tired of seeing droves of people gathering around Kari as she walked to school, ate lunch, or did her homework in the library. She was sick and tired of hearing her friends - her former friends - chattering non-stop about her cousin, giving a play-by-play of every detail of Kari's existence. The house was completely empty on Saturday morning, and Sakura welcomed the peace and quiet. For the first time all week, she wasn't around someone who was obsessed with Kari. " Peace at last, " Sakura murmured, sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands.  
" You must've had a pretty rough week if you're happy to be completely alone, " Kero noted.  
" That's an understatement, " Sakura replied.  
There was a knock at the door, and Sakura went to answer it. It was Tomoyo and her other friends, who Sakura noticed were looking a bit strange lately. They were all pale and listless with hollow, empty looks in their eyes. " Hey guys, " said Sakura.  
The life suddenly came back into Tomoyo's face. " Sakura-san! We're going to the amusement park today - "  
" Are you? " Sakura interjected. " Count me in! "  
" And we were wondering if Kari-san was at home, " Tomoyo finished.  
Sakura stopped her jaw from dropping in shock. " She's not home, " she said. " Check the library. "  
Tomoyo nodded, looking as dazed as ever. " Oh, okay. "  
The doorbell sounded again, and this time it was Yamazaki Takashi, a guy friend of Sakura's from school, along with a few other boys from Sakura's class. " Hey Sakura-san, " he said.  
" Takashi-san? I didn't know you knew where I lived. "  
Takashi shrugged. " Yeah. Anyway, I was wondering if Kari-san was home. We're going to the beach and I was wondering if she could come. "  
Sakura shook her head in exasperation. " She isn't home, check at the library. Tomoyo-san, Rika-san, Naoko-san and Chiharu-san are there already. "  
Takashi's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of Chiharu's name, but it was only momentary. " Oh, okay. Thanks a lot, Sakura-san. "  
" No problem, " Sakura groaned. And no sooner than she closed the door when the doorbell sounded again. This time it was Yukito straddled on his bike, holding a helmet in one hand. " Sakura, is Kari-san home? " he began, but Sakura cut him off.  
" Not home, " she growled through clenched teeth. " Check library. "  
" Oh, okay. Thanks. "  
Sakura nearly slammed the door in Yukito's face. She stormed up the stairs to her room with Kero at her heels. " Sakura, what's going on? " he asked.  
Sakura ignored him. " I can't take this anymore!!! " she screamed.  
" Take what, cousin? "  
  
Sakura whirled around and saw Kari sitting on her bed, grinning smugly. " What's the matter, Sakura-san? Can't take the pressure? "  
" How did you get in here? " Sakura demanded.  
Kari waved it off. " Trifles, trifles. You seem upset, dear. So sad, really. You just can't accept the fact that there's someone else better than you in this world. "  
" Shut up, " Sakura growled.  
" Suck it up, buttercup, " Kari said bitterly. " Face the facts, Sakura. Stop pretending. People like me a whole lot better than you. "  
" Back off, " Kero said, making a charge at Kari. She waved her hand and Kero was thrown against the opposite wall. " Wretched rodents, " Kari grumbled. " Oh, and another thing. I know all about your little secret. "  
Sakura gasped, and Kari smiled maliciously as she raised her hand and the Clow Key floated out from under Sakura's blouse. " Ah yes, little miss Cardcaptor, " Kari mused, almost mockingly. " You've got the power of the Star, possibly making you the most powerful sorceress in the world. Well guess what, missy. " Kari's ice-blue eyes flashed, and Sakura could feel pain shooting through her again. She willed herself not to pass out. " They were wrong. Dead wrong. " The pain intensified. " Still feeling so hot, Sakura? Still think you're so all-powerful? You're wrong. Because there's no one here to protect you. " The pain subsided for a moment as Kari stood over Sakura, who had fallen onto the floor. " No Keroberos, no Judge of the Moon, nobody. " Kari laughed, an evil laughed that contorted her otherwise pretty features into pure malice. " Clow Reed couldn't protect his precious Star forever. And now it goes to the one who truly deserves it. "  
" What are you talking about? " Sakura asked.  
Kari laughed again. " Didn't I tell you, Sakura-san? " Her voice changed suddenly, from bitter and high-pitched to something strange and silvery. " I promised I would have the Star power. And I always keep my promises. "  
Sakura looked up at Kari and came to a sudden and shocking realization. Kari's strange silvery voice and pale blue eyes… they matched perfectly with the voice and eyes of the strange veiled woman in black that had attacked her a few days earlier…  
" You!! " Sakura exclaimed.  
" So you've finally figured it out. " Kari recoiled and stared straight at Sakura. Sakura shut her eyes, braced herself for the pain that was about to happen…  
Sakura could see a bright flash of light through her tightly-shut eyelids, and a tingle ran up and down her spine. And then nothing. A few more minutes passed, another flash of light, and then nothing again. Sakura could hear Kari stomp her foot angrily on the ground. " No!! " she exclaimed. " Why isn't it working? That was supposed to finish you. How could you possibly survive magic so fierce… "  
Sakura opened her eyes and Kari was standing next to the window, absolutely fuming. " This is far from over, cousin, " she hissed vehemently, and in a shower of white-blue sparks she vanished.  



	5. Possessed

Chapter Five - Possessed  
  
Author's Note: *this is all the stuff I forgot in the first four chapters of my fic =Þ* Cardcaptors/Card Captor Sakura isn't mine, although it would be pretty darn cool if it was. So Nelvana, etc., don't sue me.  
  
" Sakura! " Kero dug himself out of the corner and transformed into his true form, Keroberos, a large winged lion with silver armor on its head and chest. He rushed to Sakura's side. " Are you okay? "  
" I'm fine, " Sakura said, sounding very confused. The reality of what had just happened sunk in and Sakura began to shake uncontrollably. " Keroberos… it was Kari. It was Kari all along… "  
" I know, I didn't see it coming. I guess that's why she only attacked you when your family wasn't there. "  
" So… " Sakura gasped. " You mean Kari… she's not… she isn't real? She's just a Clow Card? "  
Keroberos gave a sad sigh. " I'm afraid it's a possibility. " He gazed out at the window and gasped. " Yue!! " he yelled suddenly, realizing just who was floating outside the window. " Don't do that! We've had enough of people floating outside the window today! Hurry up and get in here before someone sees you. "  
The Guardian of the Moon disappeared for a moment, then rematerialized over Sakura's bed. He stopped floating, tucked his silver-white wings back and landed on the bed in a small flurry of pure white robes. Sakura's eyes lit up. " Yue! Am I ever glad to see you! "  
Yue looked over at Sakura with cold violet eyes. " What happened? " he asked sharply. Sakura shrank back a bit. She'd never gotten used to how Yue treated her so coldly, in comparison to how Yukito - Yue's human form - had always been so kind to her. Yukito-san is nothing like this, she thought bitterly.  
Yue sensed Sakura's thoughts and made an effort to be at least a bit considerate. " Are you hurt? " he asked, trying to sound kind but coming across as if her were mocking her.  
Sakura gritted her teeth. " I'm fine. What are you doing here? I thought you could only transform when Yukito was sleeping - "  
" He is sleeping, " Yue interrupted. " But never mind that. " He looked around for a while, the way a dog sniffs around a room, obviously sensing something that the others didn't. " Something was here, " he said finally. " Something that I haven't felt since the time of Clow Reed. It's everywhere, it has impregnated itself into this room… Sakura, you must tell me what happened. "  
Sakura retold the story of what had happened the past few days, and Yue listened with a resolute look on his face. He nodded slowly. " Keroberos, I need to talk to you for a moment - alone, " he added, and looked at Sakura, who sighed sadly and went outside.  
  
" … cannot imagine why this is so necessary, Yue. "  
Sakura sat outside her door, listening quietly to what Yue and Keroberos' conversation. She couldn't stand when they did this, especially since half of what they were talking about concerned her. She hated being excluded from conversations that were about her. As if they knew what was going on.  
" … with all due respect, Keroberos, Mistress Sakura has to be separated from this girl at once. "  
" Her family would get suspicious, though - "  
" The Mistress' family is under the girl's spell. Things of this nature would not concern them… You're still forgetting one thing. This is not a real girl we're dealing with here, it's a Card - "  
" Are you sure? "  
" I'm positive. You don't remember the prophecy? "  
They suddenly went into hushed, inaudible whispers, and Sakura sat pondering about what they had said. They wanted to separate her from Kari - which was fine with her - but they were worried about whether anyone would notice and do something about it. It was difficult to tell if people were under Kari's spell or not. And what was all this about a prophecy…  
After a few more minutes Keroberos spoke again, sounding a bit distressed. " Should we tell her now, then? "  
" If that is what you see fit. "  
" Sakura! " Keroberos called. " You can come back in now. "  
Sakura came back into the room and sat on the bed. " It is imperative that you stay as far away from your cousin as possible, " Yue said.  
" Why? " Sakura asked. " I mean, not like I have any problem with that. "  
" You saw what happened today when she attacked you, " Keroberos explained. " We can't afford for you to stay unprotected with Kari like that. "  
" She's not that powerful, " Sakura countered. " I can take her. I broke her lightning spell, remember? "  
" True… I think the effect of that spell only takes place when you look into the eyes of the caster. This could be something you can use against her. But back to present matters. I had reason to believe earlier that Kari isn't a real person - Yue has reminded me of something that proves that. There was an ancient prophecy made that the creator of the Lost Cards would break free from the bonds Clow Reed placed on him and send his minions out after the most powerful entity in the universe. I think that may have happened. "  
" I have Star power, " Sakura said, slowly and quietly, almost to herself. " I create my own magic, Clow Reed said. So would that make me the most powerful entity… in the entire universe? They're all after me. And Kari… she's not really my cousin? She's not even a person? "  
" No, " Keroberos answered. " She can be one of the Lost Cards, and if she isn't then she's under the influence of that Card. "  
" And I may have an idea of what that Card is, " Yue finished. " Sakura, you must stay as far away from Kari as possible. Don't give her a chance to corner you alone, and don't get caught with her followers. She could turn them on you at any second. "  
" But they're my friends! " said Sakura. " Tomoyo, Rika, Naoko, Chiharu - they're all my friends. Yukito is my friend, " she added, looking straight at Yue. She began to go hysterical. " Can you hear me, Yukito? You're my friend!! I don't care what Kari does to you, you are my friend!! You're still my friend and I'm going to do everything to free you, do you hear me? " Sakura fell to her knees and began to cry. " Do you hear me? " she sobbed, over and over again. " He really is my friend… they are all my friends… "  
" Right now they aren't, " Yue cut in sharply, which brought more tears to Sakura's eyes. Keroberos gave him a disapproving look. " For your sake and theirs, Sakura, you must keep your guard up, " Yue said in a much softer, almost kind voice. " The defeat of these Cards and the fate of the world depends on it. Do you understand? "  
" Yes, " Sakura nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.  
  
When Sakura got to school the next day the halls were completely empty. Sakura's steps echoed up the stairwell as she made her way to class. " Hello? " she called, " Is any one here? Hello? "  
" Sakura! "  
Sakura shrieked and turned around. " Syaoran? "  
Syaoran emerged from the shadows of the stairs. " Yeah, it's me. Have you seen anyone around? "  
" Nobody," Sakura replied. " This is so strange… are we here too early? Where could everyone be? "  
" No idea, " Syaoran began, but stopped in mid-sentence. " Listen, " he hissed, pulling Sakura into the shadows under the stairs.  
" What is it? "  
" Footsteps. Coming closer. Not so loud! They might hear you. "  
Sakura listened hard and could actually hear footsteps quietly approaching from above. " Who do you think it is? " Sakura asked, noting the shakiness in her voice.  
" Maybe Kari. " Syaoran heard the nervousness in Sakura's voice as well. Shyly, he took her hand. Sakura let out a small gasp, but Syaoran silenced her with a finger to her mouth. " Shh. It's okay. " Syaoran smiled a bit. " Just in case you're scared or anything. "  
" Sakura? Syaoran? "  
Both of them turned around with a loud shriek. It was Tomoyo, grinning at them. " Hey guys, " she said happily. " What are you two doing under there? "  
Sakura and Syaoran turned matching shades of bright red. Tomoyo laughed. " It's okay, there's no need to explain. Have you guys seen anyone? "  
" We were about to ask you the same question, " Syaoran said.  
" I haven't seen anybody, " Tomoyo replied. " Nobody's here - no students, no teachers, nobody. I think we're all looking in the wrong place though. They could all be outside. "  
" That's a brilliant idea, " Sakura said, and they followed Tomoyo outside to the schoolyard. They were a few steps away from the forest when an eerie sound emanated from deep within the trees.  
" Help!! Please!! Somebody help!! "  
Sakura whirled about. " That sounded like Rika-san! " she cried. More voices came from inside the forest.   
" Sakura!! Syaoran!! Is that you? "  
" Please! Help us, we're lost!! "  
" Help!! Somebody please help us!! "  
" Naoko!! Chiharu!! Rika!! " Sakura sprinted into the forest. " I'm coming!! Hold on, I'll be there soon!! "  
" Sakura!! " Syaoran ran after her. " Stop, it could be a trap!! "  
Sakura paused for a moment to reflect on what Syaoran had just said when more voices distracted her.  
" Sakura!! Sakura!!!! "  
" Sakura!! Syaoran!! Please help!!  
Sakura gasped. " Oniichan!! Yukito!! Wait!! "  
Syaoran stopped beside her, gasping for air. " Just wait a minute. All these people are still under Kari's spell. This could be a trap, it's the sort of thing she'd expect you to run right into. "  
" I don't care, I have to help them. Maybe they're not your friends and you don't care what happens to them, but these are my friends and I have to save them before Kari does something horrible to them. " With that Sakura bolted through the trees again. She summoned her wand and released the Dash Card to run faster, partially to get to her friends faster and partially to get away from Syaoran. He doesn't care what happens to them, Sakura thought bitterly. But I do. And if I'm the only one who's going to do something about it, then that's fine.  
She soon came to a small clearing in the forest and saw a cave across from her. She could hear Syaoran's footsteps echoing behind her, but she paid no attention to them and walked warily into the cave. " Rika? " she called. " Chiharu? Naoko? Where are you guys? Oniichan! Yukito!! Can anyone hear me? "  
Sakura heard a crumbling sound behind her, and she turned to run for the entrance but as she strode forward invisible hands reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, lifting her off the floor.  
" Tag. I win. "  
  
In a shower of blue-white sparks Kari appeared in front of the cave's entrance, blocking the way. She laughed cruelly at Sakura, who was struggling to get out of the invisible grasp. " Ah, my dear cousin. You're always so willing to run into the fray of danger just to save your friends. So eager to help everyone. Pathetic. " She laughed again as Sakura wriggled in midair. " You're so pathetic, Sakura, you know that? Weak, spineless, shallow, wriggling like the little worm that you are. Such a fitting image, don't you think? Ah, but you're in no position to answer that question. Perhaps your friends might want to answer that for you… "  
As Kari said this, a crowd of people suddenly materialized behind Sakura, looking wasted and dead. Sakura twisted around to look at them, and Kari laughed again. " You little fool, you walked right into my trap. Didn't you think it was strange that somehow Tomoyo appeared out of nowhere in the middle of an empty school? Didn't you feel suspicious when she was acting completely normal even though you knew she was under my power? It was an incredible bit of acting, Tomoyo-san, I commend you. "  
" Thank you, Mistress Kari, " Tomoyo said, entranced, kneeling down to kiss the bottom of Kari's long white overcoat.  
" Tomoyo-san, no! " Sakura cried. " Don't listen to her!! Don't fall any farther under her spell - you can't fall further under her spell!! "  
Kari laughed again. " You foolish, foolish little girl!! She can't hear you, Sakura. Isn't that sad? Your best friend can't hear you. They're all under my spell  
Sakura shook her head, disgusted. " You make me sick, " she hissed. And Kari did nothing but laugh, scorning Sakura as she thrashed about in the grasp of the invisible hands. " Let me go! " Sakura screamed. " let me out of here!! I can take you on. Let me go now!! "  
Kari stopped laughing and looked squarely at Sakura. " You think so? " she asked mockingly. " You can take me on all of a sudden? Yesterday I could've destroyed you. And now you can take me on? Can you take this? "  
Her pale eyes flashed furiously, and Sakura shut her own eyes tight. There was a flash of light, a tingle, and then nothing. Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief. It had worked again.  
Kari was furious. " That was nothing, " she said vehemently. " Nothing compared to what I can do now. You really think you can take me on, Kinomoto Sakura? I've got a surprise for you. Do you accept? "  
The invisible hands let go of Sakura and disappeared. She got to her feet and brushed the dust from her skirt. " Bring it on, " she said.  
  
There was another flash of light, and Sakura found herself floating above the clouds. She knew she should've been shocked, but she also knew that she'd been here before in her dreams. She looked down and saw that she was in one of Tomoyo's Battle Costumes, a black bodysuit with black tights and a frilly pink apron-like dress over it. She felt her head and her hand hit a pair of felt cat ears.  
" Surprised? " a distant-sounding silvery voice asked. " Don't be. We're doing battle, Little Miss Cardcaptor. And of course you must have one of your wonderful little Battle Costumes on. They're so adorable. When the Creator takes over this world Tomoyo-san must make something like this for… oh, what am I doing? Stalling, giving you a little time to think like the respectful foe that I am. Guess what, Sakura. "  
A fountain of blue-white sparks appeared a few feet away on another cloud.  
" Time's up. "  
Out of the fountain of sparks appeared a tall, thin figure, robed in pure white. A pearly-white veil floated about the figure like a bright aura beaming with magical power. She approached Sakura slowly, floating just high enough for her toes to skim the moonlit clouds. Soon she was standing right in front of Sakura.  
" You again, " Sakura said softly, not sparing the bitterness in her voice.  
The woman nodded slowly. Despite how much she loathed the figure before her, she couldn't help but marvel at how much she was like the moonbeams surrounding her. The woman's skin was bone-white, and her long white hair flew out behind her, radiating like white fire. Her eyes were a familiar color, a blue so light it was almost white, and her thin lips were pursed in a tight, intense line. Her robes fluttered lightly in the wind, and a bright silver chain glowed from around her waist. She was like an angel, pure and bright, flawless except for one thing; the black star that crowned her high, pale forehead.  
" So you're the same person, " Sakura mused. " The woman in the cemetery and the woman in my dream… you're probably not my cousin, not in the slightest bit. You're probably not even human. "  
The woman smiled strangely. " You're smarter than you look. But are you stronger? " She unwrapped the silver chain from around her waist and held it up. The links of the chain were thick, and every so often there was a moon-shaped lock hanging from the chain. Three of the locks were undone. " See this? It's a chain of power - pure magical power. Your friends aren't as useless as I thought they were, for they have wielded to me all of their magic, more power than ever seen before. And as long as these locks are closed and this chain stays intact, I control all of that power. As you can see, I possess all but three. " She picked Sakura up by the neck and held her out, laughing cruelly as Sakura tried to wriggle free of her grasp.  
All of a sudden, several sparkling shards of ice flew out of nowhere and struck the woman in the arm, making her drop Sakura. Sakura looked up to see Yue flying towards her. Syaoran, who was riding on Keroberos' back, was not far behind. The woman's eyes narrowed bitterly. " You! " she cried. " I should have wondered why I was never able to possess you… "  
As the woman and Yue continued to fight, a light bulb suddenly came on in Sakura's head, like a revelation. Possess… this woman is out to possess everything I once had - my friends, my home, even my own power… and Kero says she's under the power of a Clow Card… maybe something'll happen if I name the Card, it's something no one else has been able to do…  
Sakura stood up, summoned her wand, and cried, " Possession Card!! "  
The woman stopped in mid-battle, her eyes wide with shock. Yue, Keroberos, and Syaoran looked mildly surprised as well.  
Sakura smirked. " Yeah, you heard me, Possession Card!! "  
An unearthly pink glow emanated from the wand and circled around the woman, who shrieked and fell to her knees. Yue gave Sakura a look of pure surprise. " Well done, Mistress. In naming the Card, you diminished part of its power. I never would have thought of that. "  
" Capture it now, Sakura!! " Keroberos shouted.  
Sakura raised her wand and began her chant: " Possession Card, return to your power confined - "  
The Possession Card shrieked again, pulled herself to her feet, unwrapped her chain and whipped it at Sakura. One end of it wrapped itself around Sakura's ankles and pulled her off her feet. The woman whipped the chain again and it would itself tightly around Sakura, crushing her ribs, cutting into her skin, choking her so that she couldn't breathe. " Let me go!! " Sakura gasped.  
" It ends now, Cardcaptor. " With a mad gleam in her eyes, the Possession removed her veil and swung it about Sakura three times. When she placed the gleaming cloth back on her head and placed the chain around her waist, Sakura fell limply to the ground, staring upwards with a blank, hollow look in her eyes. The Possession laughed madly, triumphantly, as she closed the lock in the very center of the chain. She took the Sealing Wand from Sakura's lifeless hand and brandished it. A painfully bright ray of light came from the head of the Wand and encircled her head. She stood over Sakura's dazed, limp body like a champion stands over a vanquished foe.  
Syaoran's jaw dropped in utter shock. " Noooooooooooo!!!!!!! "  



	6. Lost Card

Syaoran gaped in horror at Sakura's body lying limp on a nearby cloud. "You killed her!!" he screamed. 

The Possession Card smiled scathingly. "Hardly, little boy. I need this one alive to keep the Star power intact. I can't present my prize to the Creator if it's dead. Afterwards, however, is a completely different story." She ran a hand down the Star Wand's length with a crazed look in her eyes. "I can't believe my luck. An entire inexhaustible well of power, and it's all right here lying in my hands. As long as that little twerp is alive, the magic is inexhaustible... I suppose it wouldn't be bad if I had a little fun with the Creator's key to ruling the universe." 

She held up the Wand and began to fire flaming pink orbs at Syaoran and Keroberos, who had to fly around in sharp circles to avoid them. Yue stepped between the two and shot jagged shards of ice at the Possession Card. The ice's aim was true, hitting the Card in the arm and causing her to drop the Wand as she shrieked in pain. 

"Way to go, Yue!!" Syaoran cheered. 

The Card's eyes were blazing now, furious as drops of white blood trickled from the cuts on her long, thin arm. Quick as lightning the chain wrapped itself around Yue and pulled him to the ground. Soon Yue had become like Sakura; limp and motionless with hollow, expressionless eyes wide-open in shock. 

Syaoran cried out again in anguish. "Why do you keep doing this?" Keroberos asked. "You have what you want; why do you insist on stealing the powers of everyone else as well?" 

"The Star power is for my master, the Creator. But do you expect me to walk away from conquering the most powerful sorceress in the modern world without spoils of victory?" The woman closed the lock to the left of Sakura's, and the chain radiated white-hot with power. "Run for your life, little boy," she crowed. "You and your pretty little kitten are next." 

Fujitaka stopped reading the paper for a moment and looked at his watch. It was already 8:00 at night, and there was still no sign of Sakura, Kari, or Touya. He thought that they may have been out late with their friends. But what if they weren't? Surely their friends would have come looking for them if they hadn't been with them, but neither Tomoyo, Yukito, or Syaoran had come asking for them. _Where were they?_ he thought anxiously. 

He walked over to the window, opened it, and stared up at the inky black sky. Fujitaka had always felt some strange, unexplainable affinity with the darkness of night, and especially with the moon. The moon was out tonight, round and white as a giant snowball. The stars were out, and every so often a single star would flash brightly, outshining even the massive moon. A chilly breeze blew past, ruffling Fujitaka's light brown hair, rustling in the trees, strangely ominous. Fujitaka played with the silver wedding ring on his finger, the ring that his late wife Nadeshiko had somehow produced from somewhere, he was almost sure it was definitely not from any earthly source. 

"Sakura, Kari, Touya," he whispered into the portentous breeze blowing past. "Please, wherever you are, please come home." 

It was all Syaoran and Keroberos could do to evade the fiery spheres that the Possession Card continually hurled at them. "We can't run like this forever!!" Syaoran yelled over the wind rushing past his ears. "We have to do something!!" 

"Do you have any ideas?" Keroberos asked sharply. He swerved harshly to the right, narrowly missing a ball of flame. The scent of singed feathers filled the air. Keroberos growled. "She burned my wing!! That's it, heads are gonna roll for this!!" 

Syaoran leapt up into the air, drawing his sword. "Cover me!" he yelled down to Keroberos as he drew a slip of paper out of the pocket of his robes. "Hey!!" he yelled to the Possession Card. "Over here!!" Syaoran held the paper up to his sword and cried, "Force know my plight; Release the light!! Fire!!" 

A stream of fire headed from Syaoran's sword to the veil on the Possession Card's head. Shrieking, she tore it from her and tried hard to put the flames out. It hadn't worked, and soon the silvery-white cloth lay blackened and charred at the Possession Card's white feet. She screamed with agony. "You foolish child!!" she cried, unfastening the chain from about her waist. "You will pay for this!!" 

"That's exactly what I was waiting for," Syaoran muttered to himself with a strange grin on his face. 

The chain made its familiar snapping sound in the air, wrapping itself around Syaoran's body and pulling him to his knees. The Possession Card looked absolutely livid when she approached him, holding Sakura's Star Wand in one clenched hand, holding one end of her silver chain in the other hand. "I would have possessed your power too, descendant of Clow Reed," she said sadistically, biting the words 'Clow Reed' off her tongue with a bitter edge. "You have prevented that. You made a mistake crossing horns with the most powerful magical entity in the universe -" 

"The most powerful magical entities in the universe are Clow Reed and Sakura," Syaoran cut in angrily. No matter how much I don't want to admit it, he added to himself. 

"The new most powerful magical entity," the Card interrupted. "You're such a fool. All humans are. I'm going to torture you until you cry out for mercy. And then I'm going to destroy you." 

Her pallid blue eyes flashed, and a flash of lightning came from the wand and hit Syaoran squarely in the chest. Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut, pain shooting through every cell in his body. So this is what Sakura felt all those times she'd been attacked, he thought. He could see another flash of light though his tightly closed eyelids. 

_Please, if this is going to end, let it not end this way! _

Syaoran felt a tingle run up his spine, and then nothing. Was this it? Was he dead? He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. No, he wasn't dead. Someway, somehow, he'd survived the lightning blast. The Possession Card looked down on him with pure shock on her face, her hands hanging weakly at her sides, the chain hanging limp from her hand... the perfect opportunity... 

Syaoran kicked himself upright, pulling the chain out of the Possession Card's hand as she screamed in protest. The chain flew high in the air, shining like a fluid ray of light, and Syaoran cut the chain in two as it fell to the floor. The locks disintegrated and the links of the chain fell like burning stars to Earth. 

And to Syaoran's utter relief, Sakura's eyes fluttered open again. 

Fujitaka looked up at the sky again, still anxiously awaiting the return of his children. He saw a group of stars shoot across the sky, burning pinpoints of light in the inky blackness. Where were they? With every aching minute Fujitaka became more and more worried. They had been gone since eight that morning. Where on earth could they be? He had lost all hope when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Fujitaka ran to the door and opened it quickly. 

Touya was standing at the doorstep, dirty, haggard, and ready to faint. "Oto-san," he whispered weakly. 

"Touya!" Fujitaka half-dragged, half-carried Touya into the house and lay him on the sofa. "What happened to you? Where are Kari and Sakura?" 

Touya's eyes fluttered half-open. "Sakura... fighting... Clow Cards... Kari... magic..." With that, his eyes closed again and he fell fast asleep. 

"Sakura!!" Keroberos and Syaoran ran over to Sakura's side and helped her up. "Are you alright?" 

Sakura blinked. "Am I?" She smiled up at the two. "Thank you. Thank you both so much." Then she shot up. "Yue! Where is he -" 

"I'm okay," Yue answered from behind her. "Quickly, reclaim your Wand and capture her while she's still weakened!" 

The Possession Card lay weeping a few feet away, still clutching the Star Wand to her chest. "So close," she sobbed. "I was so close..." Her eyes blazed with fury all of a sudden, and she stood upright. "Syaoran Li, you are going to pay for this disgrace!!" 

"Possession Card!!" Sakura yelled. "I want my Wand back." A pink glow began to surround Sakura and her Wand, and she floated off the could she was standing on. Her green eyes shone eerily. "Now." 

The Possession Card screamed in pain and a sizzling sound filled the air. She dropped the Star Wand on the ground and clutched the star-shaped burn on her white hand. The Wand floated into the air and landed perfectly in Sakura's hand. "Possession Card!!" she cried. "Return to your power confined!!" 

The entire sky filled with a bright pink glow, and a shriek of pure pain could be heard throughout the whole city. Everyone had their hands over their ears, and Sakura had her eyes screwed shut. 

"POSSESSION CARD!!!!" she yelled over the howling screams of the Card. The pink glow brightened, then died down immediately. 

Sakura woke up in the cold, dew-spangled grass, Syaoran on one side, Yukito on the other, Kari a few feet away, and little Kero sleeping in her lap. 

"Sakura." Kero nudged Sakura again to keep her from falling asleep. 

"Kero?" 

Kero grinned. "On behalf of Tomoyo-san, great capture." 

Sakura smiled back. "Thanks so much." 

"It is over?" Syaoran asked. 

Sakura opened her clenched fist and found a Clow Card face-up in her palm. It had the picture of a woman in pure white with a shining veil on her head and chain with locks in her left hand. On the bottom read "The Possession". The back of the Card looked like a Sakura Card, but the background was black with a white border, a silver reverse moon and a silver pentagram. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "It's over." 

A few feet away from them, Kari stirred. There were tears flowing down her pale cheeks, and her white-blonde hair was in disarray. Sakura turned. "Kari! Are you alright?" 

"So she wasn't a Clow Card, she was just under the spell of one," Syaoran noted to Kero. 

Kari sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry." 

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault." 

"No, you don't understand." Kari shied away from Sakura's comforting hand. "I knew what was going on. I knew the Possession Card and the Creator were trying to take me over. I didn't do anything to stop them, though. I helped them." 

Syaoran and Kero gathered around Kari as she began to talk. "I found the Possession Card when I was reading a book in my backyard. It just floated in on the wind. I was just looking at it when all of a sudden there was this bright light and I was in a dark room with a lady all in white and another person who was kind of hiding in the shadows. They wanted to borrow my body for a small 'favor' and in return they promised to give me magical powers. I'd always known that Sakura had some form of magic, I just didn't know how powerful. But I was always jealous. So I accepted. Which was a horrible mistake. The Possession Card made me do some really terrible things... while I was sleeping, she left my body for a moment and got my parents in that car accident so that I would end up going here, to Tomoeda... to you. I tried to fight it, but the shadowy figure made me promise not to fight or say anything. I didn't think, all I wanted was that power that they promised me. So I kept my mouth shut. And look what it's done. 

" Kari began to cry again. "I should leave. I'm dangerous." 

"It's not you," Sakura said comfortingly. "Everything was out of your control. It's not your fault. And we forgive you." 

"There's something else I have to warn you about, Sakura. The Possession Card was only the first Card that you have to face. There are three of them, called the Lost Cards. Clow Reed imprisoned them and their Creator a long time ago, but the Creator broke free and now they want revenge. They're not half powerful enough though, so they need an inexhaustible magic source - you. You have to be careful. There are two more of them out there, and they could come after you at any time." 

"Thanks a lot." Sakura turned around and saw a few tired, haggard shapes coming out of the cave. "Come on, it's time to get everyone home." 

"I'm so sorry you have to leave so soon," Fujitaka said. They were standing at the train station, waiting for Kari's train back to Kyoto to arrive. 

Kari bowed politely. "The agency was able to find me an orphanage to stay at. Perhaps with some convincing I may be able to return to you sometime." 

"It was really great having you," Touya said with a genuine smile. 

Kari smiled back, stood on her toes, and gave Touya a little kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for your hospitality." She then turned to Sakura and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry things turned out the way they did," she said softly. 

"It's okay. I told you, it wasn't your fault. And I've got everything under control." 

"Thanks, Sakura-san. For everything." 

"Hey, what are cousins for?" 

As the train pulled up and Kari walked away with a beautiful, genuine smile on her face, Sakura figured that other than the fact that she'd been possessed for the past two weeks by an evil Clow Card and had tried making moves on Yukito, Kari was actually a very nice person. 

The three crystal figurines sparkled in the single eerie light of the shadowy room. The one on the far left seemed as if it was trembling - perhaps with fear. 

"You have failed me," a strange voice said, echoing from all around, talking, it seemed, to the crystal figurines. 

"Forgive me, oh Creator," an airy, silvery voice replied, shaking with fright. "I promise you, it won't happen again." 

A hand appeared from the shadows, and the voice echoed from around the room. "You are right. No one fails me more than once." 

The figurine on the far left of the three glowed white and shattered into a million shining fragments. "Humans are such weak creatures," the voice continued, uncaring of what had just happened. "So willing to trust, so eager to help others. It's quite sad, really. The Star sorceress is proving to be more troublesome than I thought. She and those meddlesome friends of hers took out the Possession so easily... perhaps it is time we got rid of those friends." 

The hand appeared again, and it pointed at a second crystal figurine. The figure began to give off a strange reddish glow. "I summon you, second of the Lost Cards. Bring me the Star power - unharmed." 

The red glow filled the room, and the figurine gave off a single ray of red light that pierced the ceiling. When the glow subsided, the second figurine had vanished. 

"Make sure you do not fail me," the voice said darkly. "Or suffer the consequences."


End file.
